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Winterising Engines


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That's a bit extreme :default_biggrin: iv heard of folk winterising what ever that is :default_dunce: but not removing engines , still it explains why your boat has is bum in the air I just presumed it was happy and I suppose it is its just lost weight :default_coat:

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It's because the fuel tanks are full of rust and crud and some idiot put a pair of volvo's in the way.

As for VP prices, the oil cooler on the port one was technically scrap (raw water leak) but is now repaired for the cost of £0.00 and pressure tested fine on both oil and water sides, cost to replace £840 + carriage! It seems it's hand crafted from swedish mermaids ovaries hence the price.

It has lost over a ton so it's bum is well and truly exposed.

No chance of freezing up though. :default_biggrin:

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Wow no wonder your changing the tanks , I take it they are mild steel ones ? Thank goodness for decent fuel filters your really don't want any of that going thru the injection pumps etc , an expensive change but well worth it and certainly better that an RNLI call out .

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2 hours ago, Ricardo said:

certainly better that an RNLI call out .

Could have got close when one got down to nothing more than idle heading for the blackwater in lumpy weather earlier this year and the other was starting to lose power, shut the knackered one down and dropped to displacement speed on the one still going but still out on quite exposed lumpy water, luckily the planning was good and we still made 10knots over ground and got into sheltered water, thought about diverting to brightlingsea but carried on to bradwell as planned.

Rather do it now and not worry so much next year when the weather isn't quite as expected, been towed in before with fuel problems and don't want to waste rnli time again over maintenence issues that can be avoided, not my fault last time as I'd had tanks open on my old boat and clean enough to use the house vacuum cleaner without a bo**ocking but picked up some crap diesel from a marina in the process of changing hands (but not fuel pump filters) and had no end of problems.

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13 hours ago, Daddy Mouse said:

That really is a bit of crud in the bottom of the tanks. I'm suprised you were not changing filters every day. 

There's probably half the boats on the broads and most of the boats on the canals with tanks like that and they will never have any problems from it till they actually leak, it's only when it gets shaken up it's a problem.

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We have a heater to put in the engine bay and a dehumidifier for the saloon but what does everyone do winterising the water systems?  We would like to stay on the boat on and off over the winter so Im a bit dubious about antifreeze and what we are supposed to do. Any advice would be gratefully received.

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One of the issues you are unable to quantify is just how cold is it going to get and whether that cold snap is prolonged! Generally winters are less harsh BUT there have been times even recently when, particular as the sea and river temperatures drop, quite thick ice can form and even a bar heater may not be sufficient to cope with the temperatures falling to really low levels. The water systems will freeze first probably and it does not take much to pop the push fit fittings you are likely to have - I personally drain the lot and ensure the engine is protected with antifreeze but I live close by and can nip home!!

In the past I know of boats where the ice has created expensive damage - if it happens because your precautions were insufficient you have to be aware of the consequences, but almost everyone will have a different approach!!

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For the past 16 years, I have put tubular heaters in the engine bay, controlled by a frost stat. Recently I have also run a dehumidifier. All of which needs a reliable and stable electrical supply. Always drain as much out of the freshwater system as possible, not forgetting the hot water tank (calorifier) may need the lower fitting removed in some cases. Or a drain tap opened. I also shut off the raw cooling water inlet, remove the top of the weed filter, and run the engine ONLY until cooling water no longer exits the exhaust. That's it. Bring drinking water in a carrier, open the raw water inlet, put the top on the weed filter, and away you go.

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Freezeban is supposed to be ok for domestic water systems but I've never fancied the idea myself.

Always leave taps open so any water in the system has somewhere to go as it expands and it's not pressured to start with, I've never yet done a full drain down, if you have flexible pipes they should have enough give to be ok.

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That's what I do. I bring a 10 litre plastic jerry can with drinking water, just for 2 people during the day, usually end up pouring most of it away. It's surprising how little water you actually use. I've never thought about toilets, mine are fresh water flushed from the main tank (via separate header tanks). What do others recommend? Opening the river water inlet to drain the feeder pipe, I suppose?

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Ive just been up and drained down our domestic water system and taken a few other precautions to try to avoid any issues.

I had allready put seasafe antifreeze into the raw water circuit before the engine was turned off when we lifted out so thats hopefully protected (we have had a cracked heat exchanger in the past)

I fitted our domestic system with a drain valve on the tank and the calorifier a few years ago so draining is easy, do make sure to open all taps to get as much out as possible but depending on how you are plumbed there may be low spots that wont drain out without using compressed air, we have suffered a crack in copper pipework to a shower valve for this reason in the past, thats now lagged and hasnt occured since.  

Ive also put seasafe into the toilet bowls and run a bit through each shower drain.  

The tube heaters are now all off as the side effect of the heat is condensation.

A few moisture mates are dotted around, drawers and cupboards left ajar, foams lifted slightly to encourage air circulation and I will periodically check her over the winter. 

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Yep - some antifreeze in the shower drain system and always blow through the shower. If its one of those basic showers with a big knurled plastic knob, open it up, take off the shower head and blow hard!! For some reason they are a bit susceptible to freezing out a component - only happened to me once but they are a b****r to change. Not sure what toilet you have but Lee Sanitation have a good website which will tell you how to winterise a toilet - so people just cover with a large blanket but to how low a temperature that is effective to, is anyones guess!!

Someone else has pointed out the problems of condensation - the only way to avoid it is to leave plenty of windows open and give it fresh air but these days most people do not remove even curtains! Took mine off the other day and I reckon they weighed about twice what they should have been!!

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